The Vampire Queen
by Kezzikun
Summary: With the threat of Rido finally gone, can Kaname and Yuuki live out the rest of their days happily and in peace? Or will a new threat arise to shake the very foundation of their beings? 'ARC II - TVK Sequel'
1. The Aftermath

**A/N: Well, I'm back! I'm terribly sorry for the long wait. Life, work, family, blah blah.**

**The Vampire Queen (TVQ) is a sequel to my story, The Vampire King (TVK). If you haven't read TVK yet, I highly recommend doing that prior to reading TVQ as it will be a direct sequel, picking up exactly where TVK ended. I also don't plan on doing recaps so some things may be confusing if you haven't read TVK.**

**I am rating this M/MA for violence, language and sexual themes.**

**Disclaimer: Vampire Knight is owned by Matsuri Hino.**

* * *

With his love in his arms, Kaname walked back to the Moon Dormitory in silence, staying on alert in case anything came out to attack. The majority of the _Level E_'s that had come with Rido were dead when they converged onto him and Kaien. What little that was left could be handled by the nobles and the hunters, he was sure, but it was never a bad thing to be safe. All he wanted at that moment was to get Yuuki cleaned up so he could leave with her. To take her back to the Kuran mansion where she was born and let her have a happy life.

Her complexion was too pale for his liking. The only comfort he was able to take from the entire situation was that her heart was still beating and that she was a pureblood. She would survive to see another day. Unfortunately, the damage to his psyche was already done. As he carried her and examined everything around him, he was mentally flogging himself over and over again. Nothing he had done up until this point was good enough for her. There were too many times that danger was not only staring right at her but wrapping itself around her.

What good was he? Didn't he set out to protect her years ago? Didn't Haruka and Juri entrust their only living child to him for safekeeping? Not only was she faced with dangers repeatedly but she was no longer human. The light that shined from within her would forever be tainted and darkened with his sins. He'd consume every part of her until eventually, all that was left was a shriveled piece of a core. So many things were rushing through his head that he could hardly stand it. He was driving himself crazy.

There was no one around when he made it to the dorm. The sounds of a few cries and shots could be heard out in the distance, spaced out unevenly. It was clear that there weren't many left to be killed and it was just a matter of clean up. The more important thing now was putting out the fire he had inadvertently started before the entire area burned down. That would be left up to everyone else. He no longer cared about anything except for what was in his arms.

He kicked the doors open and walked up the stairs to his room, the room that he had been sharing with Yuuki recently. Memories of the nights they spent together flooded his mind. They hadn't been freely together that long but each memory was important to him. Each time she laughed or giggled, blushed, moaned, or snored, each one of her many facial expressions were burned into his memory. He cherished every single one of them.

The doors were already open to his bedroom and he closed them with his power after he walked through. With great care, he put Yuuki on the bed and lifted himself up, standing back to examine her as a whole. Her hair was a tangled mess, her shirt was drenched in sweat and blood and dirtied from being in the woods. The wound on her neck had stopped bleeding but the bite marks were still there, red and swollen. Two points that seemed to pulse in front of his eyes, forcing him to recognize what a failure he was. His heart and shoulders felt heavy as he forwent his proper posture and let himself slouch, the weight of his worries weighing him down.

Kaname contemplated everything that had happened and the reasons for them. Everything that he thought of kept coming back to him, as if he were the root cause of everything bad that had happened to Yuuki. Maybe if he weren't alive or part of her life she would be able to live peacefully without the fear of being attacked. Not many people were aware she was a vampire, let alone a pureblood. He could easily have their memories of her erased. Rido, the main threat to her, was gone; he had made sure of that. The proof of it was still evident; the blood and guts coated all over him had started to dry on his skin and clothes.

He lifted his hand up and stared at his palm covered in blood. His hand, that had taken so many lives, that could be forceful and cause pain and then turn around and delicately hold Yuuki's hand and bring her pleasure, made him ashamed. His hand started to tremble as he continued to stare at the lines running across his palm. Depression, unworthiness, self hatred, disgust—it all started to consume him violently. He made a fist as his vision started to blur.

"I'm sorry, Yuuki..."

There was only one thing he could think of doing that would atone for his sins and make everything right by her.

Set on sacrificing himself to turn her back into a human, he sat on the bed next to her and lifted his soiled hand, placing it on her forehead. She was too naive to think she could cleanse him. A sad smile touched his lips as he thought of their time in the shower. At the time, he was sure that she could succeed in her plan to make him feel worthy of her. It was all too clear now that he wasn't. He would miss her, miss her terribly, but he was comforted with the fact that he'd be dead.

The dead couldn't feel anything.

Her face seemed relaxed as he stared at it, examining everything one last time, trying to ensure that the last thing he saw before he died was her. The lines of her eyebrows, her long lashes that just barely missed touching her lower lids, her cute nose and the lips that he so loved to kiss and taste. Even with her being such a mess, he couldn't help but find her absolutely gorgeous, inside and out.

Power started to vibrate around him as he began the incantation to forfeit his life to turn her into a human. Pressure built up within him as the levels of his power increased. A line of blood started to creep out of one nostril as he felt a tightening sensation in his chest, coiling around his heart. In response, his heart started to beat quickly as adrenaline pumped through his veins. The muscles in his body began to tighten. His other nostril started to bleed as well as the pressure further heightened, the sides of his vision darkening. The power within him was literally pushing at his insides, trying to shove everything inside out.

Yuuki's eyes fluttered open and immediately fell onto him. He flinched in surprise and faltered, causing him to stop the spell. His vision cleared as the boiling in his blood settled. Worry filled her expression as she stared at him, weakly lifting her hand to cup his cheek. Her thumb brushed under his nose and wiped some of the blood away.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Her quiet voice was laced with fear as she started to struggle to sit up to examine him properly. The loss of blood she had suffered was too great and she did not have enough time to replenish it all. It caused her body to be weak, not allowing her full control like she wanted. "You're bleeding, are you okay?"

His vision began to blur again as he stared at her. After everything she had learned within the past few days and after everything she'd been through, the first thing she asked about when she woke up was how he was doing. What a stubborn girl, he thought. She was too pure for him. Her heart was too big. The love he felt for her was too great.

"I..." he trailed off, not knowing what to say as he stared at her. The pressure in his chest tightened again, but this time it wasn't because of the incantation. This was strictly because of how he felt for her.

"K-Kaname? W-why are you crying?"

She lifted her other hand to his face and wiped the single tear that rolled down his cheek. He could feel her anxiety and worry rising. It only made his chest tighten and swell further. The knowledge of her feelings for him were so evident, so clear.

He couldn't sacrifice himself. Not yet anyway. He didn't even think everything through. She would be beyond frightened and confused if she woke up in a strange place covered in blood. The selfishness he had become accustomed to since he had decided to take Yuuki as his own came back tenfold as the urge to live suddenly consumed him. The urge to be able to see her and protect her. He was a fool. How could he do that if he were dead?

"I'm okay, Yuuki," he whispered with a sad smile. He took her hands in his and put them in his lap, running the back of his thumbs over her knuckles. "I should be asking you that. Are you okay?" She nodded, tears brimming her eyes. "You don't have to worry so much, it's okay."

"I was s-so scared, Kaname. I thought I would never get to see you again. And then I wake up and see you in pain and bleeding. I don't know what's going on anymore. I can't lose you." Her voice broke.

The tears started to fall as her nose turned red and she began to sniffle. Her chest constricted as she tried to fight back the urge to cry, leaving her breath shuddering. He leaned down and picked her up, hugging her in the process and wrapping his arms around her as he placed her on his lap like a child. He moved her hair aside and out of her face, petting the length of it and her back in a comforting manner.

"I'm right here, Yuuki. I'm not going anywhere." He felt like a monster for making her feel this way when he should have been making her feel comforted and protected. The first thing he could do for her was help her regain her stamina.

"You need to drink." Nudging her head closer to his neck, he tilted his head to the side to expose more of his skin to her. She shook her head and hugged him tighter. "No? What do you mean no?"

"You're hurt, Kaname. I can't drink from you now. It's okay, I'll be alright by myself in a little while."

Disappointment welcomed him. He loved the idea that he was a part of her, that he could provide her with strength and the sustenance to live. He also loved the feeling of her fangs piercing his flesh, the way she licked the spot before hand and how her mouth sucked on him gently. Despite everything, he felt his inner demon stir and found himself getting aroused by the idea. He cleared his throat quickly and looked away from her.

"Yuuki, drink."

"But—"

"Now," he commanded.

She nodded and sighed, feeling defeated yet pleased at the same time. It was true that she wanted to bite him, wanted to taste his rich and addictive blood and wanted to feel it coat her tongue and throat. She turned on his lap and straddled him, pulling the collar of his long, black coat aside to find a clean spot. She rubbed the tip of her nose along his neck before using her cheek to caress him. Her fingers ran through his hair and held the back of his head as her other hand gripped his shoulder. Her tongue darted out and licked the length of exposed skin before finding a desirable spot and sinking her fangs in.

The instant his blood entered her mouth and coated her tongue, she closed her eyes and clenched all the muscles in her body in pleasure. A small moan escaped her lips against him as she drank from him. Power rushed through her veins and she could feel her strength slowly returning to her. The holes in her own neck closed completely, leaving only the faintest pink traces of the Rido's bite.

Kaname wrapped his arms around her and held her gently as she drank, letting her have as much as she needed and wanted. Regardless of how much he was trying not to be, he felt the tightening in his pants as his desire heightened. He cursed his traitorous body for not listening to him. Trying to ignore it, he instead decided to focus on ways to keep her safe. Even though Rido was gone that didn't mean that other threats wouldn't pop up in the future, especially with the extremely long life they had ahead of them.

When Yuuki was done drinking, she removed her fangs from his neck and licked the length of it, cleaning up any blood that may have slipped out. She watched as the two puncture marks healed instantly and closed, leaving no trace of the act behind. It saddened her and she sighed, preferring her mark on him to stay visible forever.

She sighed heavily as the rush of power she felt suddenly left her, draining her of any of the remaining energy she had left. Her eyes started to flutter as she leaned her head forward, letting it rest on Kaname's shoulder. With failing effort, she tried to remain awake, but with every inhale and exhale, she felt the drowsiness become greater until it finally overtook her.

Kaname felt her entire body slouch and relax as her breathing slowed. As a natural response to a newly awakened vampire who has sustained damage or shock to the body, her body would shut down temporarily to rest and recover, preserving all the strength and energy within to heal any injuries or recuperate. He carefully leaned her back until she rested on the bed before he got up and went into the attached bathroom.

He knew he was a mess, but seeing his reflection in the mirror still surprised him. He looked every bit like a demon, with his dark hair and crimson eyes, covered in blood. As he stared at himself, he started the process of undressing, slowly taking off his long black coat first and letting it drop to the ground. His shirt was a little more difficult as he had to peel it off of himself, the drying blood causing it to cling to his chest. Everything else seemed to come off easily enough.

After leaning into the shower and turning the water on, he adjusted it properly to his desired temperature before he went in. The water splashed over him as he quickly scrubbed his chest and face before washing the rest of himself. When all the blood and bits of guts were gone and the water ran without a tinge of pink, he washed himself a second time.

His thoughts went toward the next course of action: leaving the Academy. With a frown, he pondered how she would react to them leaving. Would she be comfortable with leaving Zero and the Chairman behind? Her friends and school life? Did he even deserve to ask her of such things? If he were honest with himself, he didn't mind separating her from Zero. The thought of the hunter drinking from him in the cell crossed his mind and he felt disgusted again. If only Yuuki knew the things he did for her. He lowered his head as he sighed. Maybe it was better that she didn't know all the things he'd done.

Once he was finished washing himself, he got out and wrapped a towel around his waist. He grabbed a few things from the shelf and sat them on the ground by the tub before going back into the bedroom. He stood by the bed and looked at Yuuki's sleeping form, water dripping from his hair and the tip of his nose onto the sheets. The drops of water remained as little domes for only a fraction of a second before they were absorbed into the silk. With great care, he picked Yuuki up and cradled her against his chest.

She didn't stir from the movements. When they were in the bathroom, he sat in the tub and leaned her body against his. The fabric of her shirt was stuck to her chest from the blood and sweat drying. His hands slipped under her shirt and he felt the soft skin of her stomach as he lifted her shirt up and pulled it over her head. He listened to the sound of it being peeled away from her flesh.

Her arms moved limply from his actions and her head dropped forward, her chin almost touching her chest and her long, chestnut hair creating a curtain. He threw her shirt on the floor somewhere as he moved her head and hair back to examine the bloodied print on her chest that the fabric of her shirt made from being stuck to her. He undid the clasp to her bra next and slid it down her shoulders, throwing it off somewhere as well.

He watched as her nipples hardened under his stare, goosebumps breaking out over her flesh. He audibly swallowed before he lifted his eyes to look at her face to make sure she was still unconscious. It was a... difficult situation to be in. There she was, half naked in his presence and he wasn't able to do anything about it. It was the highest form of torture and he was just thankful that he kept the towel around his waist.

After removing her socks and shoes, his hands went to the front of her pants and paused. It wasn't like he was trying to take advantage of her, but there was no way he was going to let anyone else wash her body and take care of her this way. With a few calming breaths and a couple of curses at his body for responding to her when they were in such an unpleasant situation, he removed the rest of her clothing in a quick motion.

Kaname grabbed the bowl he had set aside and filled it with clean water as he repeatedly rinsed the blood from her skin. His hand stilled a moment when he realized he would be touching every part of her naked body while she wasn't aware of it. He wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea, but then again he wasn't entirely uncomfortable either. Again, he figured there wasn't much that could be done about it before he continued with the process of cleaning her body and washing her hair.

Once he was done, he wrapped her in a towel and switched out the one around his hips with a dry one. He carried her into the bedroom and laid her on the bed. He entered the walk-in closet and dressed himself in pair of boxers, black slacks and a black button up shirt. Before picking clothes that looked comfortable for Yuuki, he sat on a small bench to calm his nerves.

First he had to endure having to bathe her and then he would have to endure drying her off. It wasn't like sex was the only thing he thought of, and it wasn't like he was a young teen who had just hit puberty, but they were still fairly new into their relationship. In his defense, he couldn't help himself when it came to her. He loved everything about her.

When he thought he calmed himself enough, he emerged from the closet with his shirt still undone and his feet bare.

Kaname knelt in front of Yuuki and removed the towel, drying her off as best as possible. He managed to get her undergarments on before he threw her in a cream, lightweight dress that reached right above her knees. Once he smoothed out all the wrinkles and kinks in the dress and made sure it lay flat, he placed her hands over her stomach. He reached for her hair brush and undid all the tangles in her long, dark hair. He loved her regardless of how she looked, but he admitted to himself that he much preferred her beautiful hair long.

An internal struggle started to begin within himself once again. On one hand, he wanted to continue to love her and take part of receiving her love. He wanted to live the rest of their days as a happily married couple and he wanted to have children with her. On the other hand, he felt like he needed to return to keeping her at arms length and watching her from a distance. All his thoughts were trying to make him revert back to his original position of a shadowed protector.

Isn't that what he had decided in the first place? If he wasn't going to sacrifice himself to turn her human, then the next best thing was to protect her without being involved with her. That would create less opportunities for outsiders to harm her. If they didn't know of their relationship, then they couldn't use her against him and she wouldn't be in constant danger. It's not like he wanted to disengage himself from her, but he didn't see any other choice.

When she woke up and discovered that he wasn't the same Kaname she knew him as over the past week, how was he supposed to explain his actions and thought process for her to understand? He didn't even understand them well enough himself. In her eyes, he'd be nothing but a cold bastard who used her.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.

"Come in, Seiren." His most trusted confidant entered the room and bowed her head to him. "What is it?"

"I'm here to report that the attack has been mostly stopped. There is still some fighting that is being taken care of. There were a few who have surrendered and have been taken to the cell underground for the time being."

"Very well. Were there any causalities on our side?"

"Other than the humans Rido killed, no. The nobles are mostly only tired and injured, but not anything they cannot heal from."

"Good. Fatigue and minor injuries are to be expected. They've been fighting for hours." Kaname moved away from Yuuki and stood in front of Seiren. "Yuuki and I will be leaving in the morning for the Kuran mansion." I hope, he mentally added. "Please relay the message to the other vampires here that they are free to go back home. This Academy is no longer going to be offering a Night class. The students are dismissed from their obligations."

"As you wish."

"I'm giving you the choice to come with us. If you choose to join us in our travels then I will be grateful and thankful; however, if you choose to go your own way, then know that I won't hold it against you. I'll thank you for all your service. Just remember that whatever you choose, I will always respect you."

Seiren knelt down on one knee and placed her fist over her chest, bowing her head. "My family has served the Kuran household for generations. I will not be the one to break our traditions. It is an honor to serve you and your family."

Kaname stared at the top of Seiren's head and watched as the moon light from the large windows created shadows against her silver, slightly violet hair. The fact that she agreed to stay with him and Yuuki made him more happy than she probably knew. In a world where vampires and humans alike would either turn their backs on him or use him, she was the only one that stayed true to her devotion to him and never questioned his reasoning, mostly because she always understood. She was the only one he could truly trust and he had no qualms with telling her any of his plans.

"You've been my unofficial bodyguard for some time now. It's just a matter of announcing it, but I think you deserve to have the official title. I will announce it to the Council once we have settled in to the Kuran mansion."

Seiren looked up quickly, for once feeling an emotion and letting it display on her features. The look of surprise and pride mingled together before it quickly disappeared.

"Thank you, Kaname."

"It'll bring further honor to your family as well, as I'm sure they'll be happy to know that one of their line has been made an official guard. It's been a long time since one was appointed the title, hasn't it?"

"Yes."

Kaname nodded, not really worrying about the issue any longer. He had more important things to worry about. Like the woman he would destroy the world for sleeping peacefully not ten feet away from him.

"Seiren."

"Yes?"

"It's going to be a long night and an even longer journey ahead of us. If you need it, get some rest. If not, then please stand guard and make sure that no one comes in or goes out of this room. That includes Yuuki. She's in a vampire slumber right now, but in case she wakes up, I want you to use your power to put her back to sleep. She lost too much blood to Rido, and who knows what else he did to her while he was drinking from her. She needs to rest to regain her strength. Do you understand?"

"Consider it done."

"And another thing, Seiren. Once we are at the Kuran mansion, I want you to gather intel again. There was a trend I noticed when going through paperwork when we were searching Rido's whereabouts. Something doesn't add up and I want you to look into it."

"Of course. What are you doubting?"

"Rido's power. It's not to say he didn't have any. I'm questioning his ability to actually gain so much in such a little amount of time. I think there is an outside factor contributing to his rise. Perhaps a benefactor."

"I'll look into it and report back to you."

Kaname buttoned his shirt up and put his shoes on before grabbing a clean jacket and exiting the room. His next stop was to meet with the Chairman to tell him of his plans to leave with Yuuki. It's not like he needed or wanted permission to take Yuuki away. On the contrary, he wanted to make sure that Zero wasn't involved in Yuuki's decision at all.

* * *

"This is absurd!"

Little murmurs of agreement sounded off from the others.

"I have to agree with him. We can't just let him run around as he is, causing all sorts of chaos within the vampire community!"

"He needs to be put on a leash!" another yelled in anger.

There was a loud slam as one of the men hit the large, oval table they were sitting at. "One way or another, he must be dealt with!"

The room fell silent as all eyes turned to the man who spoke. The men hesitantly looked between each other before one of them finally found the courage to ask.

"What are you suggesting?"

"I think you know what I'm suggesting," the man replied. His face was shrouded in darkness, the minimal lighting in the room casting shadows on everyone. When no one responded, he leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table, steepling his fingers together and placing his index fingers on his upper lip. The oil lamp on the table flicked from the movement and illuminated half his face. His blonde hair seemed white.

"Y-You can't possible mean..." another spoke up.

"That's exactly what I mean," he interrupted. "I'm saying that he should be taken care of in a... more permanent way."

"This is outrageous!" another shouted. "Ichijo, you know it's a grave sin to take the life of a pureblood! It breaks all the rules and goes against everything our society stands for!"

"What other way is there?" Asato Ichijo retorted. "We've all agreed that Kaname Kuran is running rampart. We've already received reports from our moles in the Hunter Association that he's killed two purebloods himself. You all know what that means, don't you?"

There were a few murmurs as people shuffled in their chairs.

"Two purebloods?" one of the men asked. "There should have only been one—Rido Kuran."

"Kaname Kuran did indeed kill his uncle, Rido," Asato started, eying the other members of the Council around the table. He, as the head of the Council, had summoned an emergency, impromptu meeting. All formalities were set aside for the night as they met in an underground meeting room in his mansion, away from the main Council building. They had opted for privacy and secrecy, to ensure that no outsider could overhear their conversation. "But he also killed another pureblood. Shizuka Hio."

Some of the men gasped as others whispered her name and title.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure." Asato placed his hands flat on the table. "We all know that taking the life of a pureblood is the highest crime there is. Need I remind you all though that Kaname Kuran has already done that? Twice? He should be punished equally to that of a non-pureblood."

"But... the fight between purebloods has always been around. Who are we to challenge them? Who are we to take the life of one?"

"We are the Council. It is our responsibility as members of the Council to hold up the laws and rules of vampire society. It is our responsibility to ensure that the purebloods do not exceed their right of power. We have to ensure that another Great War does not come to pass. We can only do that if we apply the same rules and punishments to all vampires—purebloods, nobles, lower levels and _Level E_'s."

"Gentleman," an amiable female voice spoke up. The men sitting around the glossy table turned to look at the one who spoke. Her wavy, blonde hair seemed to encompass both the shadows and the light in the room. "If I may speak freely for a moment?"

"Go ahead, Shirabuki," Ichijo granted.

Sara Shirabuki smiled and nodded her head to Asato. "Thank you, Ichijo." She turned to the rest of the men. "I believe Ichijo has a very good point. As a fellow pureblood, I'm appalled by Kaname Kuran's actions and feel that he does need to be punished.

The hierarchy of vampires won't be effected by his death. Like Ichijo said, it is the Council's responsibility to keep the vampires in line. Keep in mind that he gains more power with each life he takes, so it is imperative that we stop him now before he becomes too powerful for any of us to handle. What would we do if we had another Mad King to cause another Great War?"

Murmurs broke out again.

"And don't worry, gentlemen," Sara continued. "You will have my full support, power and backing." She and Asato smiled cruelly to each other. The rest of the Councilmen, not noticing their little act, began to speak amongst themselves.

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**A/N: Unfortunately, I don't see myself posting updates as quickly as I did with TVK because of work and family. That doesn't mean I'll go months between updates, but just don't expect two or three 4.5-6k chapter updates within a week like last time. Sorry. :(**

**Just like in TVK, I do plan on doing a bonus chapter when ever I get around to finishing TVQ. So, like last time, if you have any requests of little short stories of whatever, let me know in a review or in a PM.**

**Also! I will always respond to everyone who gives a review (well, if you're a guest then I can't send you a PM, sorry... just know that I wub you long time and appreciate it anyway) to give my thanks.**

**Any criticism, positive or negative, is welcome.**

**Thank you for reading.**


	2. Goodbye, Academy

**A/N: Yo. I'm going through some heavy shit right meow, so sorry about the delay (natch) and if the chapter isn't up to par.**

**In case anyone doesn't remember from TVK or hasn't read it, Yuuki is 18 in my story. Not the 16-17 she was in the manga/anime. Also, sorry about the gabajillion POV switches. Just felt like a lot of following up and tying loose ends before the story truly progresses.**

**I am rating this M/MA for violence, language and sexual themes.**

**Disclaimer: Vampire Knight is owned by Matsuri Hino.**

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Kaname had just reached a break in the trees to show a small clearing when he saw the back of Kaien's profile. The retired vampire hunter was sitting alone on a log, covered and surrounded by dust that he was sure belonged to the _Level E_'s he had slain. He could hear the heavy breathing of the man as well as see the rise and fall of his shoulders.

"Are you alright?" he asked him.

Kaien shrugged slightly, not bothering to turn around. His grip remained tight around his sword hilt. The tip of the blade was embedded into the ground an inch or so. "I'm still alive."

"I see that." Kaname walked around Kaien and stood in front of him. He examined the man's face. Kaien was covered in a light sheen of sweat. There was blood splattered on his face and clothes but there were no visible wounds. Any wound Kaien would have received would have healed already anyway. His hunter heritage and blood helped him with that. He was someone who had more vampire blood in him than any other hunter that was ever born.

"Is Yuuki okay?" the Chairman asked. His eyes remained fixed on the ground, not really staring at anything in particular.

"Yes," Kaname answered. Kaien nodded his head but said nothing else. Kaname waited a moment and continued to examine him. He knew that this fight was hard for Kaien and weighed heavily on him. "I can count on one hand the number of people I've ever apologized to. To you, right now, I will say that I truly am sorry for the hardships that have befallen you. I know this night was difficult for you."

Kaien snorted quietly to himself; his posture remaining the same. One hand on his sword, the other resting on his knee.

"You wanted nothing but peace. I know it hurts you to take a life, even if that life belongs to a _Level E_. Human lives are... fragile and fleeting, but I know each one is treasured by you, so I know the lives of the students that were lost brings you great pain."

Kaname continued to watch Kaien. For the first time since he had known Kaien, he was truly worried for him. It wasn't like Kaien to be quiet and serious for so long regardless of the situation. At that moment, he looked every bit of the three hundred-plus year old vampire hunter that he was. With the darkness as a backdrop and his black coat and high buckled boots, his pale face and light hair stood out more than usual.

"Kaien?" There was no response. "Cross," Kaname tried instead. Kaien seemed to be in a trance as he continued to stare at the dirt. There was a hitch in Kaien's breathing that Kaname easily caught with his sensitive hearing. Almost instantly, Kaname knew that the hunter was blaming himself and hating himself for all the lives that were lost that night.

Kaname slapped him across the face. The unexpectedness of it caused Kaien to lose his balance and lose his grip on his sword, making him fall backward off the log with his legs in the air.

"Oomph!"

"Chairman Cross," Kaname stated authoritatively. "Stop feeling sorry for yourself." Kaname almost laughed at himself as he thought of his own self-assessments. "There were lives lost, yes, but many more that were saved because of you and the help of your allies. What sort of luxurious time do you have to sit around and feel sorry for yourself?"

Kaien remained laying on the ground with his arms out to his sides as he looked up at the sky, listening to what Kaname said.

"Do you plan to sit here all night when there are still students on campus that don't have any idea what is going on and need you the most right now? What of the ones that have already fallen? Do they not deserve a proper cleansing and release from this earth?"

He stood there and stared at the Chairman a moment, letting his words sink in. "The Night Class is being abolished. I wish for co-existence between humans and vampires as much as you do, Chairman, but now is not the time. The risks are too high. I'm sure you realize that my uncle was just the beginning.

I'm sure you also realize that the Hunter Association is not going to sit idly around and do nothing about these turn of events. After all, human lives were lost. Until things settle down in both the Association and the vampire community, I think it's best that you close the school down temporarily. You may also want to question why the Association refused to help when vampires were attacking. It goes against what the Association stands for, doesn't it? Think about that."

Kaname turned back in the direction that he had come from, intent on going back to the dorm and getting things ready for his departure in a few hours. Kaien remained motionless on the ground as the light breeze gently played with stray strands of his long hair.

"Another thing, Chairman. I'm leaving Cross Academy in the morning for the Kuran mansion." Kaien sat up almost instantly, his forearms landing on his knees as he sat cross-legged in a matter of seconds. "I'll be taking Yuuki with me."

They stared into each others eyes for a moment before Kaname turned and left, leaving Kaien alone in his dusty graveyard. Once Kaname disappeared from his sight, Kaien dropped back on the ground and stared up at the sky again. His Yuuki, his precious daughter, was back to being a pureblood and leaving his side. She was going back to where it had all started, to where she was born.

He thought of Juri and Haruka. He thought of the windowless room Yuuki had lived in for the first eight years of her life as a pureblood. He thought of the ten years he spent with her as a human. He thought of all the little moments they had together. Every worry he had whenever she fell or became sick. Every moment of pride he felt when she could tie her own shoes or get dressed by herself. Every moment of happiness when she would call him 'daddy' instead of 'Chairman'.

Now she was an adult and a pureblood again. A grown individual who, whether she remembered or not, was engaged to the king of vampires. He wasn't exactly comfortable with the idea of his daughter, adopted or not, being an 'adult' and being with a man, even if that man was Kaname. He knew, though, that they were both considered royalty in the vampire world and they both loved each other.

Kaien sighed heavily as he started counting stars, needing an excuse to prolong his return to the academy to face everything that was waiting for him. He needed a little more time to himself to sort and put his emotions back in order.

He had to cope with letting his daughter go.

* * *

Sara giggled as she reclined back in her oversized, antiqued chaise lounge. Cushions of various sizes in vibrant colors surrounded her as she closed her eyes and absorbed the feeling of being pampered. Five young, female servants were attending to her, massaging her feet, doing her nails, combing her hair.

The room had a luxurious glow from the chandeliers that hung from the ceiling. Numerous scented candles added rich, floral perfumes in the air. A phonograph emitted the soft sounds of a piano sonata, filling the room with beautiful music.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in," Sara lazily responded. The door opened to reveal another young, female servant.

"My Queen, Master Ichijo is here to see you." Sara nodded her approval. The servant stepped to one side and ushered Asato in. Asato entered the room and stopped a few feet away from where Sara sat. He wore beige leather riding pants with boots laced up to below his knees, a black vest over a white shirt and a long, buttoned waistcoat. He took his gloves off and looked at his hands as he spoke.

"That was quite the show you put on during the meeting. All the Councilmen have cast away the last of their worries and are ready to crucify Kaname Kuran. Well done, Shirabuki."

"Oh, Ichijo, aren't you a doll." She shooed away the servants who were fluttering around her as she sat up from her reclined position. She stared at Asato's pale complexion and blonde hair before standing and walking to him.

Asato wasn't afraid of her but he still stiffened as she trailed her index finger through his beard, tracing his jaw line. He narrowed his eyes at her and clenched his jaw.

"What do you think you're doing, Shirabuki?"

"What is it about the Kurans—Kaname especially—that you dislike so much?"

Asato puffed his chest out. "That's none of your concern."

"Except it actually is. I've agreed to conspire with you. We're in the works of doing some terrible and incredible things. I have the right to know who I'm partnered with and if you plan on betraying me in the future."

"I can assure you that you have nothing to fear."

Sara's lips thinned out as she became angry at his choice of words. "Fear? Who said I fear anything?" The candles in the room blew out in unison, dimming the room and creating dozens of smoke trails.

Asato smiled at her but it was evident it didn't reach his eyes, nor was it genuine. "My apologies, dear Shirabuki. I didn't mean to imply that you did."

She circled around him, trailing her finger across his chest and back until she stood directly behind him. She placed her hand on his shoulder and stood on her toes to give her some additional height. Her face was against the back of his head as she whispered in his ear, blowing hot breath across his neck.

"Or is it perhaps that you want me? Are you thinking of mixing our lines together?"

Asato jerked away from her and turned to face her, any facade of pleasantries gone. "Don't kid yourself, Shirabuki. I wouldn't taint my bloodline with yours. I want nothing to do with you or any other purebloods. This partnership is one of convenience, nothing more."

She ignored his comments. "How is your grandson, by the way?"

Asato was taken aback for a moment before he stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Sara stared at the closed door as her servants kept their heads and eyes low. She started to laugh wholeheartedly. Her servants busied themselves with relighting the candles.

* * *

Yuuki was dreaming about being in a room filled with blood, bodies of dead humans piled up in each corner and dozens of _Level E_'s surrounding her. She had Artemis with her in its full form as a scythe. The vampires were shuffling closer to her, tightening the circle around her as they grinned at their prey. She was frightened beyond belief that she and Kaname were about to die.

Kaname...

She looked up, over the sea of heads, and saw Kaname chained against a wall with his arms raised high above his head, shirtless and covered in blood with several swords sticking out of him. His body crackled with a lightning-like energy, making her realize that the blades embedded into his body were anti-vampire weapons.

His head hung low, causing his hair to fall in his face. He lifted his head marginally and she was able to make eye contact with him through his fringe. Pain and worry laced his entire face as he stared at her and tried to struggle against the chains to get to her.

She felt hopeless, unable to do anything to get to her most beloved and treasured person. A sharp pain struck her right calf. She looked down and saw that one of the _Level E_'s had bitten her. Another sharp pain struck her and she looked at her left forearm to see another pair of fangs biting into her flesh.

She was frozen in place from fear and her body refused to move. Another sharp pain, followed by another and another. There was a loud scream of rage from Kaname's direction, but she couldn't see him anymore. The vampires surrounding her all converged onto her, biting and ripping at her flesh, drinking her blood in the process. Artemis fell from her hands as she collapsed to the floor, her body feeling heavy from the pressure of the other vampires on her.

Almost all her strength and blood was taken from her. They all suddenly stopped and parted away from her, clearing a path between her and Kaname. She turned her head and looked at him. He was still struggling against the chains which caused the swords to move around inside of him more. Blood was seeping from each wound. He was growling and screaming and crying at the same time as he tried to get to her.

A figure walked out of the shadows but Yuuki couldn't make out who it was. She couldn't even tell if the person was male or female, young or old, human or vampire. The hooded person walked up to Kaname. He tried to lunge and bite at the person but failed each time. The person took hold of one of the swords in his leg and pulled it out slowly before walking up to her. She tried to keep eye contact with Kaname but the hooded figure's cape blocked her from seeing anything.

The person raised the sword up and slammed it down, shoving it through Yuuki's chest. Yuuki's body tensed as the anti-vampire sword struck her heart. Her vision darkened, but she kept looking in Kaname's direction and could hear his shouts. The hooded figure walked back to him and pulled another sword out of his body before shoving it through his heart.

A spasm ran through Kaname's body before it went completely limp. Tears ran down Yuuki's cheeks as she watched Kaname's last breath escape his lips. Darkness started to consume her.

Laughter. She could still hear laughter as everything started to fade away.

Yuuki jerked awake with a scream. Her whole body felt heavy and she was incredibly tired, but her heart was racing wildly from her nightmare, causing her to shake uncontrollably. She had managed to pull herself up into a sitting position when the doors to the bedroom burst open. Kaname rushed in right as vertical lines blinked into appearance as Seiren teleported next to the bed.

"What's wrong?"

"What happened?"

Kaname and Seiren spoke at the same time. Seiren was eying the room as Kaname hurried next to Yuuki and looked her over for any possible injuries. When Yuuki saw Kaname's worry painted on his face, it reminded her of how he was being tortured in front of her in her dream. It caused her to break down and start crying. Kaname flinched back in surprise as his eyes widened before he hugged her and patted her back.

"Ssh, there's no need for those tears, Yuuki. What's wrong?"

"I... I just..." She shook her head and buried her face in his chest, grabbing little fist fulls of his shirt. She did not have the courage to tell him how frightened she was by her dream or at how real it felt. He didn't try to pressure her into speaking. When Seiren was sure there were no threats in the room, she left to give them some privacy. Once Yuuki finally calmed down enough to control her tears and breathing, she pushed away from Kaname and kept her eyes low.

"Yuuki?" Kaname whispered.

His voice was like silk and wrapped itself around her head, calming her; giving her the urge to squeeze him tightly. The room only had the moon to light it, casting shadows everywhere. What would have normally felt like an empty and abandoned room changed into an intimate enclosure with just the two of them. He was so close... and they were together alone.

The urge to lean into him and kiss him was so strong. She finally conceded and allowed herself to do so, sitting up and leaning forward, eyes closed. She felt Kaname stiffen for a fraction of a second before she could feel hair on her face and arms around her back. She opened her eyes and saw the bedroom rather than Kaname's face. He had pulled her into a hug.

Yuuki felt confused but ultimately returned the hug. Did he not see her trying to lean up to kiss him? It was a possibility.

"Yuuki," Kaname started, breaking free of the hug and standing. "The Night Class is being abolished. I plan to leave in the morning for the Kuran mansion and I..." he hesitated for a moment, clenching a hand into a fist and examining her face, eyes darting around her features as if he were unsure of something. "I'm not going to force you. It's your choice if you want to leave with me or stay here."

"I—"

"Don't tell me now," he cut her off, waving a hand in front of her to stop. "Think about it. There is some time left. I plan to leave in the morning. If you choose to come with me, I will be waiting at the front gates. If you don't show up then... I'll know your choice. In the mean time, get some rest. You still need it to recover." He frowned at her. "I'm actually surprised that you woke up so soon after going into a vampire slumber."

With that he turned and left the room quickly, not giving her time to answer him or ask any questions. She sat on the bed with her mouth half open, a response wanting to come out but no one to tell it to. She looked down at herself and noticed her change of clothes. Did Kaname bathe and change her? She wondered. Her face flushed and she put her hands on her cheeks as she tried not to smile or be embarrassed.

* * *

Kaname closed the bedroom door behind him and leaned against it, blowing air out of his mouth. The tips of his fringe that were in his face blew upward from his breath. He leaned his head back against the door and closed his eyes. When Yuuki tried to kiss him, he had almost allowed her. Almost. It took all his willpower to prevent her from doing so. Even now he was fighting with himself to not turn around, kick the doors open unnecessarily dramatic-like, scoop her up in his arms like a caveman and take her with no regard. His fingers twitched and he cocked his head to the side in thought. It's not like he couldn't do that... but he figured he shouldn't.

He sighed heavily and pushed away from the doors. First things first, he would go to his office and pack up any important documents that he couldn't leave behind. He started his march down the hallway.

"Seiren."

"Yes, Kaname?"

"Did you tell the nobles yet?"

"No. I was waiting until it was closer to when we were leaving." He nodded his approval to her. She bowed her head and stopped following him, letting him walk ahead of her as she turned around to return to her post.

"Seiren." She stopped and looked at him. "One more thing. My request to put Yuuki back to sleep... forget that. Let her be. She can rest during the trip to the mansion if she decides to come. Let her have the last few hours before I leave to herself to do as she wishes. If she leaves the Moon Dormitory, be sure to shadow her, undetected, to ensure her safety."

* * *

"Oh God... oh God... I can't breathe."

"Would you quit complaining and get up already?"

"No. Go on without me. I see a bright lght."

"Hanabusa! Get up before I start dragging you back by your hair!" Akatsuki yelled at his cousin.

Hanabusa looked up from his laying position on the ground. "You'd do that? Really?"

"Yes. You think I want to stand around here all night? I'm tired and sweaty and I want to go back to the dorm so I can shower and go to sleep."

Hanabusa eyed him suspiciously. "And this has nothing to do with you wanting to go catch up to Ruka to make sure she's okay?"

Akatsuki's eye twitched as he looked away from Hanabusa. "No."

"You liar." Hanabusa grunted as he sat up and leaned forward, taking in deep breaths. "If you're so concerned over her then just go."

"I'm not leaving you alone. There could be more out there we haven't caught yet. So hurry up and get up so we can go."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Hanabusa mumbled under his breath.

The two of them had stayed as a team for the most part while fighting the _Level E_'s that had attacked the academy. They would meet up with the others when necessary to help out large groups of the lower beings or when there was an unruly one giving the others trouble. Although they were noble vampires and healed quickly from injuries, they still felt the pain of anything that was inflicted onto them.

Cuts, scrapes, gouges... those would go away. The bruising always took a little longer. The energy they exerted and blood they lost, without real blood, would take more time than anything to regain. Blood tablets were the only thing they could rely on.

Hanabusa took out a small, sleek case from the inside of his uniform jacket and slid the cover off to open it. Inside the box lay a handful of blood tablets with their engraved _I-XXXV 00C _on them. He dropped a few in his hand and popped them into his mouth before offering the case to Akatsuki. His cousin took the box and swallowed some tablets as well.

"Alright, let's go." He got up from the ground and patted Akatsuki on the back before they both went to meet up with the others.

They reached the underground cell that the captured lower level vampires were being held at. Ruka, Rima, Senri, Takuma and Toga were already there. Hanabusa didn't see Kaname, Yuuki, Seiren, Zero, the Chairman or any of the other hunters that had come to help. He briefly wondered if Kaname and Yuuki were okay before his thoughts were interrupted by cries. He looked over to see seven lower level vampires in one corner of the cell with Toga at the entrance.

"Please! Don't kill us! Remember you promised! We turned ourselves in!"

"What level are you vampires?" Toga asked.

"We're _C_! We're all _C_!" Everyone in the cell nodded in unison.

"Well, isn't that peaches and cream?" Toga unclasped his anti-vampire knife from around his thigh and started twirling the blade in his hands. The light from the torches would glint off of it, causing everyone's eyes to notice the sharp, serrated blade. "I've got some questions that need answering. For starters, what was your plan? Why'd you all come here?"

"Ichijo," Hanabusa whispered to Takuma, trying to ensure he didn't interrupt Toga's interrogation. "We need to go help the Chairman with the students in the hall." Takuma nodded to him and followed him and Akatsuki out of the cell.

None of the _Level C_'s answered Toga. They turned their heads and looked every which way but at him and his knife. The nobles remained on the other side of the bars and watched in silence.

"Don't have any takers? No one wants to talk?" He pushed away from the bars he was leaning against and walked toward the vampires, twisting the handle of the knife in his hand so the blade was pointed inward. "There are no volunteers?" He wore a scowl on his face as he got closer to the group.

He lifted his arm up, ready to slash at one of them when someone spoke up. "Wait!" Toga stopped mid-swipe and looked at the vampire that spoke. "Wait, please wait. I'll talk. Please don't hurt us."

"Alright then, talk." Toga straightened and took a step back but kept his knife at the ready. Nothing like a little show to make them squirm, he thought to himself.

* * *

It was almost time for when Kaname was going to leave. Yuuki had spent the rest of the night helping the Chairman with settling the remaining students back in their rooms after their memories were wiped by the Hanabusa, Akatsuki and Takuma. She spent a little bit of her time talking to Sayori over the phone. The remainder of her time was used to contemplate on if she should talk to Zero or not. Even with everything that had happened, she still loved him like a brother. They spent the last four years of their lives together under the same roof, of course she would care for him.

At first, there was no luck when she tried to find him. She ended up searching the grounds to see if he was anywhere there. He wasn't, nor was he in the barn like he usually was or on some rooftop. She had ran into a few vampire hunters who were putting out a fire that somehow had started in the woods. She wasn't sure of the details but the area made her feel uneasy, so she quickly left it after saying her thanks.

It was truly tiring running back and forth. She hadn't regained enough strength from the loss of blood and was feeling a little light headed and exhausted. In the end, she stood in front of Zero's bedroom door, able to sense his presence inside but still debating on if she should open it or not. When she felt the angry aura behind the door and the sound of a click, she decided not to open it.

Instead, she placed her hand on the door and closed her eyes, wishing things had turned out slightly different so that Zero wasn't in so much pain.

"Zero..." she whispered. Everything that she had planned to say left her. There were thoughts of explanations and heartfelt talks but nothing came out. In it's place came out something else. "I know you think I'm a monster. That you hope there's a small piece inside of me that's the same Yuuki as before. Well, you're wrong. I _am_ a monster and that monster has eaten everything there was about the Yuuki you knew. So go ahead and hate me. I'm leaving the academy, so good bye, Zero."

Those were the only words she could think of to say to somehow help him cope and move on. In her mind, if she had said anything else, he would have latched on to some false hope of her returning to who she was. There was no turning back. There was no undoing who she was and truthfully? She didn't want to go back. She finally had a place next to Kaname and she didn't want to give that up.

* * *

The morning sky was starting to turn from it's muted golds into loud slashes of azure. Kaname stood motionless as he stared at Cross Academy from his position by the gates. He had already waited longer than he had planned, but he couldn't make himself leave quite yet. He kept waiting an additional ten minutes to give Yuuki more time to get to him, but as the sun became brighter in the sky, his heart became darker. To anyone looking at him, he probably seemed stoic and indifferent; however, a weight was getting heavier and heavier on his shoulders and chest as he realized that she wasn't going to join him. It was clear now that she was planning to stay behind.

He sighed heavily, something he noticed he was doing quite often lately. He could see his breath in the cool air as he exhaled. Seiren said nothing. She didn't question him or remind him that they had been standing there for over an hour. He silently thanked her for that. He waited another ten minutes before he finally turned away from the school and walked through the gates.

With no Yuuki.

He was half way down the steps that lead out of the vicinity of the school to the car that was waiting for him when he heard shouting in the distance. He stopped, surprised, and turned around to see multiple people running toward him.

"Wait!" Yuuki shouted again.

The weight in his chest started to lift.

"Lord Ka-na-meeeeee!" Hanabusa singsonged.

And that weight stopped about halfway. What was Hanabusa and the rest of them doing?

He waited until the small group reached him. He made sure that nothing on his face showed but he truly was relieved that Yuuki was holding the handle of a small rolling luggage. "Yuuki... what are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm coming with you! I mean... if the offer still stands?" Yuuki asked with a brilliant smile.

His heart was melting at the sight of her.

"Me too, Lord Kaname!" Hanabusa stopped next to her with his own luggage. "Phew! We almost missed you!"

Kaname looked at Seiren and raised a brow at her. She simply stared straight ahead. He turned back to Hanabusa. "What's this?" He pointed to his luggage.

"We're going with you!" he cheerfully stated.

"You are?" he questioned.

"Senri and I wont be, but please call on us if you need us. We'll be doing some photoshoots. Our modeling agents will be pleased with our extra free time," Rima commented. Kaname nodded to them.

"We got the message really late so we almost didn't make it. You weren't going to leave without us, were you?" Hanabusa stared at him doe-eyed.

"I..." Kaname stopped. "Do as you wish, just be sure not to get in my way." He turned to Yuuki. "Shall we?"

They walked the remaining distance to the car next to each other. Seiren had taken Yuuki's luggage as Hanabusa, Takuma, Ruka and Akatsuki followed close by.

* * *

**A/N: My hope is that chapter three wont take as long to write and post.**

**Any criticism, positive or negative, is welcome.**

**Thank you for reading.**


	3. Car Rides

**A/N: This is a shorter than usual chapter, sorry broskis! I just couldn't make myself make it any longer. Also, my family issue has been... concluded? I guess? Anyway, I _should_ have some more free time to write more frequently now.**

**I am rating this M/MA for violence, language and sexual themes.**

**Disclaimer: Vampire Knight is owned by Matsuri Hino.**

* * *

The journey to the Kuran mansion was long and tiring. They had traveled for hours, confined in the vehicle together. Seiren and the driver sat in the front. The back of the vehicle was set up with two benches that faced each other. Much to his displeasure, Yuuki did not sit next to him so he couldn't randomly hold her hand or touch her hair during the trip. He couldn't absorb the warmth of her body against his side. She had sat directly across from him, but he eventually didn't mind as it gave him a better opportunity to see her face and expressions as she spoke with the others. Hanabusa sat next to her with Akatsuki to his right. On Kaname's side of the benched seat was Takuma, who sat in the middle, and Ruka, who sat on Takuma's left.

Every so often, Kaname would cup his chin in his hand as he rested his elbow on the door to look out. To the others, it appeared that he was silently staring out the window the entire time. In reality, he had spent the majority of the time either secretly looking at Yuuki or watching the rest of the group interact with one another from the corner of his eye.

Ruka and Akatsuki kept quite for the most part. Akatsuki was attentive to Ruka and kept his eyes mostly on her. Ruka, who he knew was trying her hardest to remain calm about the situation—him choosing Yuuki and not her—joined in on the conversations every now and again but stayed quiet the rest of the time.

Takuma, Hanabusa and Yuuki talked non-stop the entire trip about everything and nothing. The largest part of their conversations included unimportant ramblings of things he really didn't understand. He had made a mental note to himself to catch up on the most current culture trends and music. It never even occurred to him that Yuuki would be interested in those types of things as she spent most of her time at Cross Academy doing school or vampire related work. Even though he personally didn't understand or care about the conversation topics, the silly things she spoke about suddenly became important to him because Yuuki was passionate about them.

He watched her expressions light up when Hanabusa or Takuma agreed and liked something she did, scrunch up with distaste when they debated about things that they had different views on—like which character was the best in some theater drama—and how her eyes shined when she giggled. Her soft, shy giggles lifted his heart each time he heard it and made him think of an angel. Hanabusa, on the other hand, made him think of a cow. An annoying, dying cow that sounded like it was being probed. Kaname caught himself before he visibly shuddered by the sudden image. He instead cleared his throat and crossed his legs in the opposite direction.

The movement caused his foot to brush against Yuuki's leg. Just that faint, brief touch settled some of his frayed nerves. She was truly there, alive and well, albeit a bit tired from her recent ordeal. He still couldn't believe that she was willingly sitting in front of him, that she agreed to stay by his side and follow him. It was like a dream come true to him.

What made him even more happy was every time he caught her look in his direction. He would divert his eyes to follow the scenery outside just in time, of course, but it still excited him and made him happy that she would try to steal glances when she thought he wasn't looking. After she had stolen another glimpse and turned back to look at one of the others, it was his turn to do the same. He noticed her rosy cheeks first. His eyes followed the light blush over her soft skin down to her jaw line and neck before settling on the vein that he could see pulse in tune with her heart beat.

The movement calmed him a little more, for it provided the proof that her heart was beating steadily and was healthy. On the other hand, the more he stared at it, the more he thought of the blood that was pumping within it. That caused another reaction in him that he wasn't willing to deal with in a confined area with a group of people. It was so quick and sudden, the hunger, need, thirst and arousal, that it took him by surprise and he couldn't stop or control himself before the rest of the passengers were made aware of it. His mouth watered a little at the thought of sinking his fangs into her neck and drinking her piquant blood. Adrenaline started to course through his veins as he continued to be transfixed by her pulsing vein. The anticipation and excitement of the hunt made his fangs throb and poke his bottom lip.

A throat was cleared, followed by a hesitant chuckle. It was enough to break the spell that Yuuki had unknowingly put him under. He looked up to see her blushing furiously, a small smile grazing her lips as she fidgeted in her seat and looked down at her hands in her lap. His eyes darted to the others quickly. Akatsuki shuffled and repositioned himself as he looked out the window and pulled at his collar to loosen it. Takuma coughed into a closed fist and covered his mouth, pretending to be in thought before he looked out the window as well. Ruka huffed and crossed her arms over her chest as she followed suit and watched the scenery outside.

Hanabusa, on the other hand, chuckled again. No longer was he hesitant or shy about it. He had no problem showing his gleeful happiness at Kaname's lack of control which only irritated Kaname. The young noble was beaming, looking between him and Yuuki and then back at him while wiggling his brows. Kaname knew that he had to be in control of his emotions to ensure his power was always in check, but the brow wiggling made him forget about control for a fraction of a second. That was all it took for the bench underneath Hanabusa to creak and then snap upward, poking the vampire's behind.

Hanabusa's grin vanished as he yelped and jumped up from his sitting position. He jumped too high, which made him smack his head on the roof of the car. "Ow!" He grabbed the top of his head and fell back on his seat, which made him sit on the broken wood sticking up. "Ow!" he yelled again, lunging forward and falling to his knees. His head landed in Takuma's lap.

"Hey!" Takuma flinched and jerked back and up, as much as he could in his sitting position, while pushing Hanabusa's head away from him and covering his groin area. Hanabusa fell to the car floorboard, his head landing on Kaname's foot.

Kaname stared down at him in consternation with one brow raised. Hanabusa moved his head until his cheek rested on Kaname's boot as he shyly looked up at him, his face a furious shade of red. He slowly got up and sat on his knees as he bowed his head to Kaname, his hands flat on the floor in front of him.

"I-I'm sorry, Lord Kaname. I didn't mean t—I mean, my seat just... I'm sorry." He quickly turned to his seat and tried to smooth out the planks. Akatsuki muttered under his breath as he sat forward and tried to help him.

"So embarrassing, Hana..."

"I'm sorry, Akatsi. I don't know what happened," he whispered back, as if that would make a difference in an enclosed area filled with vampires. He turned to Yuuki. "Um, sorry Yuuki but..." he trailed off and looked back at Kaname before glancing back at Yuuki. "Sorry, I guess I should start calling you Lady Yuuki now." He bowed quickly, flustered. "Could you get up so we can flatten this out a little bit?"

Yuuki stood the best she could in the car, mostly hunched over and holding onto the door and the back of the seat for support. Hanabusa muttered a thanks as he and Akatsuki quickly tried to straighten the bench so splinters of wood weren't sticking up in the middle anymore. Just then, the car hit a bump in the road. It caused Yuuki to lose her balance. She turned to try and catch herself but failed, falling and ending up sitting in Kaname's lap.

"Oh my gosh, sorry Kaname!" she said, suddenly just as embarrassed as Hanabusa. She tried to get up quickly but stepped on the hem of her long coat which caused her to fall back onto Kaname again.

Kaname held his hands out to his sides, afraid to touch her. He pursed his lips together and looked out the window, trying to ignore her close proximity. Her sweet scent swirled around him and was intoxicating; her soft hair brushed against his face, tormenting him and making his fingers twitch to run his hands through the long strands of auburn; the warmth of her body felt like a blaze compared to his cold insides.

Takuma kept his hand over his mouth as he and Ruka stared out the window. Akatsuki and Hanabusa quickly settled the bench as best as they could and sat down with an audible _thump_. Yuuki jumped off Kaname's lap and sat in her original spot. Akatsuki covered his face and sighed as Hanabusa and Yuuki kept their hands on their knees and looked down.

Kaname looked from one to the other, hands still partly held up. He was sure he looked angry to them, but he was actually quite amused and perplexed. The rest of the trip was done in silence. No one wanted to look at Kaname or look in his direction, nor did they want to say anything in case they made him upset. They weren't willing to be victim of his wrath.

They eventually made it off the main road and started traveling down small side streets. Toward the end of their journey, there wasn't any type of pavement but what appeared to be unattended gravel on the ground. The gates surrounding the Kuran mansion could be seen in between overgrown trees, bushes and vines. The car slowed and came to a stop at a tall, iron gate that was closed. Everything seemed like it hadn't been touched in over a decade.

Kaname glanced at Yuuki and saw her staring out the window with wide eyes and open mouth, hands placed against the glass. She watched everything intently. Seiren and the driver stepped out of the vehicle and opened the gates, pushing them back enough to allow entry. The gates made a whining sound as they were forced open, branches and vines that had wrapped around the iron spokes snapped. The driver and Seiren made it back in the car, and they continued up the long and seldom traveled driveway up the large hill.

The mansion was set back about a mile from the start of the driveway. It had an open field in the front and back. Yuuki could just make out that there was a garden in the back before the mansion blocked her view. The entire plot of land was surrounded by thick woods. The car stopped directly in front of the stairs to the mansion. The driver stepped out and opened the door on his side, allowing Ruka, Akatsuki, Takuma and Hanabusa to exit. Siren had opened the door for Kaname and Yuuki, bowing as they exited.

Yuuki was taken aback at the size of the mansion. Kaname watched her every move and facial expressions, waiting to see if any memory triggered that would upset her. To Kaname, what he saw wasn't the serene and empty land with a light dusting of snow. Everywhere he looked had an imprint of blood or a body part from the fight that took place eleven years ago. The beginning of when Yuuki has been taken away from him and turned into a human. The end of Haruka and Juri.

He wondered if Yuuki remembered anything of that night. She had all her memories returned to her but did she block any of it out herself? Was she too young to remember certain things? Did she remember Juri sacrificing herself for her? Did she remember the path she ran when being chased by a vampire? Kaname remembered. He remembered everything. The thoughts and memories of that day were assaulting him full force as he stood in the same spot Haruka stood when he was killed. He started getting agitated and grumpy.

A couple of servants and maids stepped out of the mansion to greet them. He turned to them and started ordering them around.

"Are all the preparations for us to reside here complete?"

"Yes, my Lord," Sebasuchan, the Chief of Staff and head butler, said.

"Good. Show the guests their rooms, please. Have the kitchen prepare a light meal after everyone has settled in." As Yuuki followed the rest up the stairs to the main double doors, he grabbed her wrist and stopped her. She turned her head and looked down at him, surprised. "Wait," he told her. He quickly released his hold and waited until everyone was escorted in before continuing.

"Are you okay?" Yuuki asked him.

"Why wouldn't I be?" he retorted quickly. As much as he hated it, he tried to remind himself that he had to keep his distance from her.

She raised a brow and flushed, confused but looking away. "Uh, no reason, I guess."

He changed the subject. "I stopped you for two reasons. The first is to let you know there are certain places here that may make you uncomfortable or make you remember unpleasant things. If that happens, let me know." He started up the stairs.

"Wait," Yuuki called out, turning to face him, growing more confused at his demeanor and attitude. "What's the second thing?"

Kaname's back straightened a bit more than it normally was. Without turning to face her, he answered. "The second thing, Yuuki, is that you are to remain here. For your own safety, until the events that may take place in the outside world are settled, you are not permitted to leave this mansion." He continued up the stairs and disappeared into the mansion, leaving a bewildered Yuuki alone with a female servant.

* * *

"_Zero..." _

Zero had been sitting in the same spot on the floor, leaning against his bed with Bloody Rose in his lap, for hours. He kept replaying Yuuki's last words and voice in his head, over and over again.

"_I am a monster."_

"_...hate me."_

"_I'm leaving the academy, so good bye, Zero."_

He looked at his anti-vampire gun as his vision started to blur from the tears threatening to spill out. He had felt her presence behind the door when she had visited him and how his anger had made him reckless and point the gun at her. He remembered his last words to her after she told him good bye.

She had just finished her little speech and was walking away when he ran to the door and threw it open, grabbing her from behind and hugging her.

"I love you, Yuuki," he had told her, then pushed her forcefully away and pointed the gun at her again. She caught herself before falling and turned to face him. Her big, innocent eyes tinged with the unnatural red belonging to vampires looked at him with utter calmness. "But I hate you too. I don't accept your 'good bye' because _I'm _the one who says it to you. I don't ever want to see you again. If I do, I _will _use this gun to kill you _and_ that piece of shit pureblood you're so obsessed with."

He recalled how his arm started to shake and how his voice cracked as he looked at the woman he loved.

"Then let's hope we never meet again," she said simply before turning and walking away.

He stood there until her figure disappeared down the long hallway, with his arm raised up. His body shook and he finally released the breath he was holding, hanging his head low and allowing himself to cry. When he was done, he returned to his room and sat on the ground, which is where he had been the entire night.

The memories made the tears fresh, but he stopped himself from caving in. He was allowed just one breakdown and he had already cashed it in. Instead, he beat himself up over everything that happened. He just sat and stared at his gun. The weapon he threatened Yuuki with and had promised to kill her with.

There was a knock on the door. He didn't bother to answer or get up.

"Zero?" the Chairman called out. "I know you're there." The knob to the door jingled as the Chairman tried to open it. "Unlock the door and come out, Zero. C'mon."

Zero didn't bother. He muted out the sounds of his surrogate father and replayed the conversation with Yuuki. Before long, his head was jerked back. He looked up and saw the Chairman hunched over in front of him, looking deadly and mysterious. He had never feared the fun loving goofball before, but seeing the Chairman as he was now made him realize there was always two sides to a person.

"Did you just slap me?" he asked.

"Yes."

Zero squinted his eyes at the Chairman. "Are you sure you're Chairman Cross?"

"Who else would I be?"

"You don't seem like him."

"You think there's an impostor of me? How delightful!" The Chairman clasped his hands as he stared off with stars in his eyes. "I wonder if he would do the Academy paperwork for me! That way I can be a full time daddy for you!"

"Ugh..." Zero grumbled, pushing the Chairman away from him and standing up. "Never mind, you're the same person. And for the last time, you're not my daddy!"

"Details, details, my son! Just try and call me 'daddy' once, please? It'll mean the world to me!"

"In your dreams, old man." Zero shrugged off the uneasy feeling. The Chairman seemed like his normal self but he was sure he saw the legendary vampire hunter that the Association members had always whispered about. The stories he believed; the Chairman being that unbeatable and frightening force, not so much... until now.

"Well, we'll see about that. Anyway, thanks for not helping with anything. The student's memories have been erased. The fire has been put out. Uh... let's see what else. Oh! We're using the excuse of a broken underground water line for the damages done to the... well, everywhere."

"That's great. Why are you reporting this to me?"

"Tsk, tsk, Zero. The Night Class has been abolished. You should, unfortunately, be happy about that. You're not stable enough to be put in the Day Class, so what happens next involves you. That's why I'm here. The Hunter Association wants you to work full time from now on. Are you up to it?"

Zero looked at the Chairman. "Full time?"

"Yes."

"As in going on missions and killing vampires on a regular basis?"

"Well, I mean, you won't have to kill vampires all the time but there may be a need for that, yes." The Chairman pushed his glasses up his nose.

"Great. Count me in. Tell them I'm interested. When do I start?"

The Chairman examined Zero. "Are you sure you're not eager to do this because you get an excuse to kill vampires? Keep in mind that not all vampires are evil and deserve to die."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, save the speech. When do I start?"

"You'll report to the Association for briefing tomorrow morning."

With all his pent up emotions, an outlet was what he needed... and working full time to release his frustrations and anger was perfect.

* * *

"Our plans are in place," Sara told Asato. "I just need you to not contravene and bring him in."

Asato nodded and pressed the call button to his secretary. They were sitting in his office at Ichijo Technologies. When the line clicked over, Asato spoke.

"Bring him in."

"Yes, Mr. Ichijo," his secretary spoke. A second later, the office doors opened and President Hitsuji walked in. The secretary bowed and closed the door behind her.

President Hitsuji was in charge of Department Telbat, which was a part of Ichijo Technologies that created, controlled and manufactured blood tablets. Only the group working in the department, as well as the vampires in the world, knew of it's existence. To the investors and the outside world, Department Telbat and President Hitsuji didn't exist. Ichijo Technologies was in charge of various departments and sections that were all leading in their fields, ranging from biotechnology to agriculture, chemical engineering to pharmaceuticals.

"Y-y-you c-c-called me t-t-t-to see you, s-s-sir?" President Hitsuji stuttered, wringing his hat in his hands. He had never been called into Asato Ichijo's office. In fact, he hadn't known of anyone who was ever called into the CEO's office.

"Yes. It's regarding the production of blood tablets."

"Is-is-is something w-w-wrong with it?"

"No, but there is a new formula that I want created and manufactured right away."

"Th-th-that's fine."

"I want the new formula to be introduced into the market with the next batch," Asato continued.

"B-b-but, sir, that's impossible. There is a process, you s-s-see. Tests and quality ch-checks. We won't be able to g-get the b-batch out that q-quickly."

Asato smiled and walked around his desk to stand in front of the timid man. "I think you can manage something. You'll be compensated for your troubles."

President Hitsuji shook his head vehemently. "No, no, n-no. I'm s-s-sorry, sir. I c-can't do that." He looked down at his shoes as he continued to shake his head, taking nervous steps back.

"I like your dedication to doing the right thing. You're very honest." President Hitsuji kept taking steps back until his back hit something. "Unfortunately for you, my new partner here doesn't much care for honesty or the right thing, and she has a habit of getting what she wants."

President Hitsuji nervously looked over his shoulder.

"Hello there," Sara said with a sweet smile and gentle voice. She watched as the President became visibly relaxed by her appearance. It was a mistake on his part, she thought, for she was more cruel than Asato Ichijo could ever be.

She held her hands out gently and embraced President Hitsuji in a hug, patting his back and comforting him. The man was confused and still nervous but allowed it.

"How are your children?" Sara whispered into his ear. He tensed in her arms and tried to pull away, but her grip on him tightened. "If I recall correctly, your daughter and her husband are expecting their first child any day now. It'd be a terrible shame if something were to happen to them."

"W-what are you s-saying?"

"You know exactly what I'm saying. Now, about that next batch."

"No! I s-s-still can't! That affects thousands of v-v-vampires! Millions, even! I c-c-can't put my f-family in front of that many li-lives!"

"There's something you still don't understand, President Hitsuji. I'm not giving you a choice. If I have to, I'll make the decision for you much easier. You're not my typical type, what with you being a man and... old, but I'll make an exception."

"W-what?"

Sara jerked his head to the side and bit him, drinking his blood quickly. His body went limp. She released her fangs from his neck and bit into her own wrist, piercing her flesh and letting her blood pool before forcing it over his mouth.

President Hitsuji drank it out of reflex. When he had enough, she removed her wrist and let his body drop to the ground.

"It'll be just a few minutes and he'll be good as new. These humans," she sighed, "are so unpredictable sometimes. I would have thought he would have caved in at the first mention of his family, but! This works out just as well. I can control him better this way anyway and one can never have too many servants."

She smiled as Asato stared at her, repulsed. "I didn't know you would start attacking and turning my employees, Shirabuki."

"Oh, don't be so prude. It's an honor to be bitten and turned by a pureblood."

Asato scoffed at her and walked back to his seat behind his large desk. "Or so you continuously say."

"Say, Ichijo, you never did tell me how your grandson was doing. I'm dying to see Takuma." She sat in a seat in front of the desk and crossed her legs.

"Leave my grandson out of this," Asato replied, angry again.

"You know I have a fetish for him. You also know that I always get what I want."

"This is one thing you won't get. I'll work with you on everything else, but Takuma is off limits."

Sara looked Asato over and smiled, thinking of all the things she could do to him without him having a say. "Or so you continuously say," she repeated in a deep voice, waiving her hand around and trying to mimic Asato.

"Are you making a fool out of me?" He stood up and slammed his fist against the table.

"Are you always so uptight?" she responded.

There was a groan from President Hitsuji, interrupting Sara and Asato's bickering. They both looked at him and watched as he sat up, swaying back and forth slightly. He held his head and closed his eyes tightly.

"Wh-what happened to me?"

Sara stood and crouched in front of him. "Hello, my dear."

He looked up at her. "What..." He gripped his throat as it started to burn.

"Oh my, you're hungry already. Tell me, President, what's your first name?"

He hunched over a little. "Ika. Ika Hitsuji."

Sara laughed at his name and patted his back. "Nice to meet you, Ika Hitsuji. I'm Sara Shirabuki, but you can call me Master." She reached into her sleeve and pulled out a vial with red liquid in it. "You are going to put this into the next batch of blood tablets. Do you understand?" She exerted a little of her power over him, enforcing the bond they had now that she had created him.

"Yes, Master," he whispered, grabbing the vial.

"Good boy."

* * *

**A/N: Any criticism, positive or negative, is welcome.**

**Thank you for reading.**


	4. Hey, Listen

**A/N: Sorry about the long wait, yo! You know how it be!**

**I am rating this M/MA for violence, language and sexual themes.**

**Disclaimer: Vampire Knight is owned by Matsuri Hino.**

* * *

Yuuki examined the mansion and walked aimlessly through hallways and rooms, randomly trailing her finger across objects. The progression of the designs in each room was apparent. Toward the main entrance, it was evident that the rooms had been upgraded to be more current and contemporary, yet still welcoming and not at all tacky.

As she went further and further out from the entrance, it was like she traveled back in time when kings ruled the land with their queen at their side. Each room had a warm, rich feeling with all sorts of old, ornate looking furniture and large, intricate tapestries and paintings. There was beautifully crafted vases as well as banners and armor sets, complete with weapons.

She had opted out of eating with the rest of the group. She also didn't want to go to the room that she was supposed to share with Kaname. Right now, all she needed was some time alone to sort out her feelings. Confusion weighed heavily over her shoulders.

After going over the last interaction and conversation she had with Kaname, she still couldn't figure out what exactly his problem was. Did she do or say something that made Kaname so... cold and distant? Was it stress? Concern over what happened to her? Were there threats other than Rido she didn't know about? He often did keep things from her 'for her own protection'? Or so he thought.

Didn't he realize that keeping her in the dark all the time was the same as saying he didn't trust her?

Was she thinking about it too much? Maybe nothing was wrong and it was all in her head. She continued to explore her surroundings. She was alone in a lower level of the mansion. The place was so big that she couldn't keep track of where she was or what floor she was on. Technically, she was lost long ago, but she wasn't worried. Eventually, she would run into something familiar again and find her way back.

Her heart started to race as she passed over a set of closed double doors. She stopped, one hand centered on the tall, thick wood as she pressed against her chest with her other hand.

"What...?" she whispered to no one in particular.

There was a heavy feeling of nostalgia. Taking a glance at the handles, she wondered if something behind the doors had some sort of meaning to her. The doors were unlocked so she pushed them open slowly, peeking into the darkness.

"Hello?" she questioned. There was no answer. Nothing but silence. She waited a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness before she took a step in. A heavy weight slammed into her chest and she fell to her knees, her breath leaving her in a rush. "Ah!" she cried out. "Wha—?!"

Her head started to swirl and her body swayed as memories flooded her. Her vision darkened and she collapsed, falling unconscious.

* * *

Kaname had rushed into the master bedroom after he left Yuuki on the front steps. He had been there for hours—pacing back and forth—and not a single soul had disturbed him, which was how he wanted it. He didn't socialize with the rest of the occupants, nor did he partake in the meal they were having. All he wanted was to be alone to think about how much of an asshole he was.

"What are you doing right now, Yuuki?" he thought to himself out loud. He recalled the feeling of her soft skin and the way her breath felt on his chest when she would fall asleep in his arms. "What am I supposed to do? Am I doing the right thing? I just don't know."

He ran his fingers through his hair for the hundredth time that day as he exhaled a frustrated breath. Just then, one of the magic wards he had placed in certain areas of the mansion was triggered. He stood motionless for only a second before he was running out of the room and down several flights of stairs.

"Damn it, Yuuki." Kaname had expected Yuuki to run across the room that was the very foundation of her childhood, he just didn't except her to run across it so soon after arriving to the Kuran Mansion. The ward that went off was for the large, windowless room that she had spent the first half of her life in.

He made it just in time to see her slouching on the ground at the mouth of the entrance, holding her head with both hands. He ran to her as fast as he could and caught her right as she collapsed. Her body lay limp in his arms and he settled to the ground.

"What am I going to do with you?" he whispered into her hair as he cradled her head against his chest and hugged her tightly. He rocked her back and forth slowly and ran his hands down her hair as he listened to her accelerated heart rate. He waited until it slowed back to her normal tempo before picking her up and walking into the room, using his power to turn the lights on.

The room was like a time capsule. Upon preparing the mansion for their arrival, he had instructed that no one enter the room or do anything to it. He had prepared it himself by simply cleaning and dusting, as well as washing the sheets for the bed and towels for the attached bathroom. Kaname, doing house chores. If only Yuuki had seen him. He was sure she would have fainted from surprise.

When he had first delivered Yuuki to Kaien Cross eleven years ago, he had spent a large amount of time in the mansion alone, wandering the halls in complete silence and revisiting every scene that involved a death.

Once he had brought his emotions under control and was able to cope with everything that had happened that night, he had taken on the task of cleaning the blood out of the carpets at the entrance of Yuuki's room. Juri, who had sacrificed herself to turn Yuuki human, bled out right in front of her precious daughter, holding Yuuki in her arms as her life slowly left her body.

In reality, the blood and the scent never truly came out enough to meet his liking. He ended up replacing all of the carpeting in the hallway. That was all in the past though, Kaname thought to himself. There were no remnants of their deaths lingering about.

He placed Yuuki on the long couch she had spent a lot of her time on and knelt in front of her. Strands of her hair fell in her face and he gently brushed them back and curled it behind her ear. His finger traced her soft cheek and her bottom lip as he examined her sleeping face.

"How is it possible to love you so much, Yuuki?" he whispered to her.

Once again he debated his actions as he watched her sleeping form. The majority of her memories had already come back to her when she was returned to her true self as a pureblood, but actually revisiting the places she grew up in was bound to trigger effects like the one she just experienced. It was like information overload

He turned his head from side to side and looked over the room. Eventually, she would wake up and the shock would wear off. She'd investigate the room and would probably remember things that happened there. Before she woke up, he would have to leave. After all, he was supposed to be the uncaring and inconsiderate jerk to keep her at a distance, thus keeping her safe. Right?

* * *

"I win!" Ruka chirped.

Hanabusa grumbled and threw his cards on the table, disheartened over losing yet another hand at cards. "You seriously must be cheating."

"Ha! Aidou, please. Someone from my stature would never cheat. Why would I bother doing such a lowly thing when there is so much satisfaction at beating you honestly?" she asked in a snooty tone. "Besides, it's not like it takes much to beat you. You're so predictable _and_ you wear your hands on your face. It's so easy to tell what you have and when you're bluffing!"

"I do not do that!" he yelled, frustrated.

"Actually, Hanabusa, you do," Akatsuki said.

"Whatever." Hanabusa crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't feel like playing anymore. You two always team up and pick on me."

"Even Lady Yuuki beats you," Akatsuki reminded him.

"D-don't make things up! I simply let Yu—I mean Lady Yuuki, win! Speaking of, where is she? And now that I mention it, where's Lord Kaname?" He glanced back and forth, then leaned over the table and whispered to his cousin, wiggling his brows with a grin on his face. "Do you think they're... 'preoccupied', perhaps? Eh? Eh?"

Akatsuki rolled his eyes and looked over Hanabusa's head before returning his gaze back to his blonde haired cousin. He smiled. "And what do you mean by 'preoccupied', exactly?" he whispered back.

"Ooh, Akatsi!" Hanabusa leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes, waving his hand back and forth in front of him. "You know, what all the kids these days are doing."

"Hmm... please explain."

"Really! It's obvious you're a virgin!"

"Hey! Shut up, Hana!" Akatsuki looked over at Ruka nervously.

Hanabusa grinned. "I'm talking about Lord Kaname and Lady Yuuki probably doing the dirty. Bumping uglies. Making babies. Hitting a home run. Doing the deed. Doing the four-legged frolic. Getting funky. Riding the baloney pony. Giving a dog a bone. Playing hide-and-se—"

Kaname smacked the back of Hanabusa's head hard. Hanabusa's head jerked forward and he slouched in his chair, embarrassed, as he rubbed the spot Kaname hit.

"Are you calling Yuuki a dog?" Kaname asked with venom in his tone.

"Uh, um... n-no. Of course not! I didn't know you were there, Lord Kaname. I'm sorry."

"Do you think me not being here gives you the right to say as you wish about Yuuki?" His eyes narrowed at Hanabusa.

"No, no, that's not what I meant. I'm sorry." He stood quickly and bowed multiple times.

"Go to my office and wait for me there. You have sixty seconds to get there. If you're late by even one second, I will know, and your punishment will be that much more severe." Kaname turned and started to leave.

"Wait! Which room is your office? I... I don't know all the rooms in the mansion yet."

"Fifty-two seconds left, Aidou." Kaname called out over his shoulder as he left without another word.

Hanabusa turned to Akatsuki and shook his fist at him. "Thanks for not warning me, you ass!" Akatsuki and Ruka laughed at him, but he didn't care. He had less than a minute to figure out which room, out of the over abundance of rooms, was Kaname's new office. He used his vampire speed as well as his heightened sense of smell to put together a road map of where Kaname and Seiren had been. He figured if both of them had been in the same room then there was a high probably of it being the office.

Much to his surprise, there were quite a number of rooms where Seiren's scent could be found with Kaname's. It made sense since Seiren was Kaname's bodyguard. Hanabusa stopped in the middle of a hallway to hone in and sift through the different scents to find where Seiren's scent was stronger around it rather than in it.

The first few rooms he found and entered didn't seem like offices. After running down another hallway, he found a room that looked to match Kaname's taste in dark, rich colors; not to mention that it had papers scattered on a large, mahogany desk.

He ran in and fell to his knees in front of the desk as he panted to catch his breath. Being a vampire had its upsides, but that also meant he could exert more energy when covering a lot of ground and searching for a mystery room.

"You're late, Aidou." Kaname walked in behind Hanabusa and went around the desk to sit in his seat.

"Sorry, Lord Kaname. I accept my punishments with honor."

"Sit," Kaname commanded.

Hanabusa got up and sat in a chair in front of the desk, straightening the wrinkles out of his shirt. He looked at Kaname's chin, not wanting to make direct eye contact but also not wanting to be rude by not looking at him.

"You're awfully nervous right now, Aidou."

"Uh..." He chuckled and shifted in his chair, tousling the back of his hair. "Sorry."

"Don't be. I have a task I'd like for you to perform indefinitely. I've come to you first but you're more than welcome to turn it down. I can find someone else instead if you're not interested."

Hanabusa instantly beamed. Kaname was coming to him for help?! And he had come to him first?! He grinned and sat with his back straight. "You can count on me, Lord Kaname! I will be more than happy to serve you in any way possible!"

Kaname gave him a small smile. "That's wonderful to hear, Aidou. I'd like for you to be Yuuki's personal chevalier. What do you say?"

Hanabusa stared at Kaname and blinked a few times before nodding slowly. He felt like his brain had been extracted from his body and he couldn't help but be stunned. "O-of course, Lord Kaname." His heart started to race. Did Kaname trust him that much to entrust Yuuki to him in such a way? It was such a great responsibility.

"You'll be in charge of being her shadow. That means her personal bodyguard, protector, friend, tutor, companion. Whatever she needs you as."

"I can do that!"

"Of course, it goes without saying that you're not allowed to drink from her or sleep with her," Kaname continued.

"I wouldn't even think of doing those things!" Hanabusa shouted as his face turned a bright shade of red from embarrassment.

"Go to her now. She's... in the room she spent all of her childhood in. I'll have Seiren show you the way." Kaname dismissed him with a waive of his hand as he turned his attention to some paperwork on his desk. Seiren suddenly teleported next to him, her body appearing in hundreds of thin vertical lines before becoming solid. She walked toward the door and opened it, waiting to usher Hanabusa out.

Hanabusa got up from his seat and sat back down quickly, then stood back up. He looked from Kaname to Seiren in confusion before he exited the room. Seiren walked a few paces away, but he stopped and poked his head back in office.

"Um, Lord Kaname?"

"What is it, Aidou?" he asked without looking up.

"I'm confused. What about my punishment?"

Kaname looked up over the top of the report he was reading and raised a brow at Hanabusa. "Are you a masochist, Aidou? Do you want me to punish you that badly?"

"Wh-what? No! I mean, that's not what I meant! I'm just saying in case you forgot that you said you were going to or something then I'm totally okay with that, you see, but I wanted to remind you so it didn't seem like it's j—"

"Aidou," Kaname cut off his rambling. "If you don't leave and do as I asked properly, trust me, you will receive a worthy punishment. It'll be painful even for your perverted standards."

Hanabusa's faced paled slightly as he audibly gulped before he hesitantly chuckled and nodded his head, taking his leave and rushing down the hallway to stand by Seiren. He bowed to her as well and patted his clothes down out of nervousness.

When they finally reached their destination, Seiren waived toward the opening of the room and blinked away. No matter how many times he'd seen her do that, he'd never get over his awe. It was a handy power and ability to have.

He peeked into the room and saw that it was dimly lit. Yuuki was asleep on a couch, alone. He entered the room and sat in a chair next to the couch and waited for her to wake up, all the while examining the room and their surroundings. He was sure to be alert. Even though they were in the Kuran household, it didn't mean he could be lax with his duties. Kaname trusted him to protect Yuuki in his stead. He would make sure he did everything in his power to prove Kaname chose correctly and was wise in believing in him.

The room was mostly empty with very little furniture. Before he could examine anything further, he saw movement from the corner of his eye and looked at Yuuki. She mumbled under her breath and groaned as she slowly started to wake up, lazily raising her arm to her head.

"Ugh..."

"Are you okay Yuuki?" He slapped his forehead in frustration. "Sorry, I mean Lady Yuuki. I can't seem to get used to addressing you properly. I'm used to you being... uh, well, pre-pureblood."

She scrunched her eyebrows and raised her head from her laying position to look up at Hanabusa.

"It's okay," she mumbled. She pursed her lips as she continued to stare at him, seeing him upside down.

"What is it?"

"Actually, you're sitting where my father used to sit."

Hanabusa jumped up as if his body had been shocked. "S-sorry! I didn't know!" He patted the chair down and smoothed out any of the wrinkles in the material.

Yuuki sat up and tiredly laughed at him. "It's not like he's here to yell at you, so it's okay." Hanabusa stopped mid stroke at the same time that Yuuki realized the morbidity of her statement. "Sorry," she mumbled.

"It's okay."

"What are you doing here?"

"Lord Kaname has asked that I be your chevalier. Isn't that exciting?!" His face brightened as he beamed with happiness and pride.

"H-he did what?!" She stood up quickly as she balled her fists in anger.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't need a guard! I can take care of myself!"

"Psh, don't be stupid, Yuu—er, I mean. Don't take it personal like he doesn't think you can't protect yourself."

"Yeah, but still!" She stormed out of the room and stopped in the middle of the hallway. "I actually don't know how to get to where he is. I actually don't even know _where_ he is." She huffed out of frustration. "That's it. Take me to him."

"Is that a command?"

"Yes!"

"But I thought you didn't need me as your chevalier?"

She narrowed her eyes as she stared at him. "Don't be a smart ass, Aidou. You don't need to be a chevalier to give someone directions."

"Eh... I'll think about it."

"Aiiidooou!" she called out his name like a mother would to their child when they were caught red handed.

"Neeghh!" he yelled as he stuck his tongue out at her and started to run away.

"Get back over here so I can beat you senseless!" she shouted as she chased him.

He laughed as he taunted her, all the while leading her to Kaname's office without her realizing it. He knew it was inappropriate to behave in the manner that he was with a pureblood, but he figured that Yuuki didn't see herself as a royal vampire. Besides, she needed to calm down before talking to Kaname anyway. When they arrived at Kaname's office, they were both giggling and slightly out of breath.

"Are the children playing games? How cute, but I'm busy, so take it elsewhere," Kaname said snidely.

Hanabusa cleared his throat and straightened his shoulders as he lowered his gaze and apologized. Yuuki forgot about her joyful mood as she became angry again, Hanabusa's efforts becoming pointless. She entered his office and slammed the door shut, leaving Hanabusa alone and slightly worried.

Ruka and Akatsuki walked up to him. "Hey, what's going on?" Akatsuki asked him.

"Uuh..."

"You can't do this!" They heard Yuuki shout from behind the doors.

"I can do whatever the hell I please!" Kaname shouted back.

Ruka and Akatsuki looked at one another in shock before turning back to Hanabusa. "What the hell is going on?" Ruka whispered to him urgently.

"Like hell you can!" Yuuki shouted.

"Well, it turns out that Lord Kaname asked me to be Lady Yuuki's chevalier and apparently she's not very happy about that. Something about—"

"This isn't open for discussion, Yuuki. Now be a good girl and go play. I have work to do," Kaname said in an angry and loud tone, no longer shouting.

"What is your freakin' problem, Kaname?! Ever since we got here you've been nothing bu—"

There was a loud slam and the three nobles jumped from their spots in surprise. Ruka grabbed onto Akatsuki's sleeve as she continued to listen, hearing nothing but silence. Akatsuki furrowed his brows in nervousness. Hanabusa clenched and unclenched his hands as he made a fist, rubbing his thumb over his fingers in a fidgety manner.

The area around them suddenly became cold and the hairs on their arms stood up. Their breath could be seen upon exhaling. A prickly sensation ran over them as they recognized Kaname's power leaking out from his tight control. They all silently took a step back from the doors, nervous about catching Kaname's attention and having his power unleashed on them.

The double doors to the office suddenly burst open, an extremely angry looking Kaname tightly holding the handles so tightly that his fists were white. His crimson eyes shined brightly as he looked at the three of them there. They took another step back without realizing it.

"Aidou!" he barked out.

"Y-yes, Lord Kaname?" he answered, scared.

"My orders remain. Do you understand me?"

"That's not fair, Kaname!" Yuuki shouted from behind him.

Hanabusa looked from one to the other before returning to his Lord. "Yes, Lord Kaname, I understand."

"I don't care how much she tries to dismiss you, you'll contin—"

"I said I don't need one!" Yuuki interrupted him, still yelling. She stomped her foot.

The hallway became colder and the three nobles shivered. Creaks sounded off as the wood in the doors became strained. Kaname turned around slowly and stared at Yuuki, his displeasure allowing his powers to continuously seep through.

"Did you just interrupt me, Yuuki?" he said quietly.

The three nobles took another step back. Akatsuki pushed Ruka behind him out of instinct, without even realizing he had put himself in front of her as a shield. Hanabusa tensed as he watched the two argue. He didn't want to interrupt them and end up being the target of Kaname's wrath, but he also didn't want them to fight.

Yuuki, in her own anger, didn't realize Kaname was losing control of his deadly powers. She continued to unconsciously goad him.

"Yes, I did!" she said defiantly, lifting her chin up. She crossed her arms over her chest. "You're not listening to me!"

"I'm not listening to you?" he asked.

"Yes!"

"I'm not _listening_ to you?" he repeated again. "And when do you ever listen to _me_, Yuuki? Do you ever? Have you ever once listened to anything I have requested of you?" He took a step toward her. "Have you ever once thought of what your reckless actions do?" He took another step toward her. She dropped her arms as she opened her mouth to argue, but shut it as he continued. "Have you ever once thought to heed my warnings?

"Do you think if maybe you _listened_ to me that you wouldn't have been in some of the dangers you were in? Do you think if you _listened_ to me then maybe Rido wouldn't have gotten his hands on you?" He forcefully pulled her collar down and shoved her hair aside. "Do you think if you _listened_ to me then maybe you wouldn't have his mark on your neck right now?! Do you think if you _listened_ to me that maybe you wouldn't have been bitten by yet _another_ vampire other than me?!" he shouted in her face.

The wood in the double doors started to splinter. The carpet underneath Kaname's feet began to rip in a lightning-like pattern away from him and curl.

"I..." Yuuki hesitated, her anger faltering as she looked away from his furious gaze.

Kaname grabbed her arm and escorted her out, pushing her toward Hanabusa. "My orders still stand, Aidou. I don't think I need to remind you of the consequences if you fail." He slammed the doors shut with a loud _thud_. The sound resonated and echoed down the empty hallways. The four vampires stood there in silence, scared to move. The tears in the carpet slowly crawled out from underneath the door frame as if trying to reach out and grab hold of their ankles. They could still hear the sound of wood moving and settling.

Akatsuki grabbed Ruka and started to urge her to move, pushing her away from their location. Hanabusa did the same to Yuuki, prompting her to follow. They left the area and went into one of the parlor rooms.

"Are you okay, Lady Kuran?" Akatsuki asked.

Yuuki tried to smile and nod but failed miserably. She rushed out of the room and ran down several hallways as tears brimmed her lower lashes. Hanabusa, as she expected, followed her silently. Without realizing it or thinking of it, she once again ended up in the room she grew up in. She threw herself on the ground in front of the couch, rested her head on the cushions and covered herself with her arms as she started to cry.

Hanabusa hesitated. Here he was again, alone with a crying female and unsure of what to do. He knelt next to her and patted her back awkwardly. "It's okay, Yuuki. It's going to be okay."

She sobbed and sniffled as she shook her head. "No, it's not! Why can't he trust me?"

"It's... not about trust, Yuuki. I'm sure of it. Don't you know how much he loves you?"

"So much that he can't even compromise? It's his way or no way?"

"Listen, think of it from his perspective. He almost lost you, only this time permanently. You were pretty close to death, you know. I heard what happened. If he had come ten or twenty seconds later then you would have been a goner. He hasn't had time to process and handle that."

Yuuki stopped crying as she lifted her head and examined Hanabusa's clear blue eyes and worried face. "You really think so?"

"Of course! I mean it _just_ happened less than forty-eight hours ago. Give him some time. Think about how you'd feel if Lord Kaname almost died in your arms."

She pondered his words as she looked away. If Kaname almost died in her arms, she wasn't sure what she would have done. She was only sure that she would have mentally lost it; she would have either gone crazy or killed herself.

"I guess you're right."

"And about this whole chevalier thing. Don't take it so personal. Even Lord Kaname has Seiren as a bodyguard and he's more than capable of taking care of himself."

"Y-yeah, you're right about that too."

"And really, if you think about it, it won't be that much different than what it's been like the past two weeks anyway. I've been hanging around you because of Lord Kaname's orders anyway."

"That's true..."

"And we get along well enough, so it'll really just be like normal. I'll just have a different title, and who really cares about that?"

"I didn't think of that."

"I know. It's 'cause you're slow." He bonked her over her head.

"Ow!" She rubbed at the location before dropping her hands and sighing heavily. "I think I've screwed up big time, huh?"

Hanabusa made a face and nodded. "Yeah, pretty much. On the bright side, Lord Kaname can't be mad at you forever, right?"

* * *

_One week after arriving at the mansion..._

"He's still not talking to you?" Hanabusa asked.

"He is... if you can call it talking," Yuuki complained. They sat in the kitchen as Hanabusa prepared her breakfast. She swung her legs back and forth, her shoulders slumped with depression. "It's just a bunch of one worded replies or he's quick and short about it."

"Yikes. I didn't think he'd be that bad for this long."

"I tried apologizing too, but he doesn't seem to care. He's just... cold and distant. I don't get it." She traced patterns in the marble counter top.

"Can I ask a personal question, Lady Yuuki?"

She looked up at him. "What?"

"Have you guys been drinking from each other at all?"

Yuuki whined and sighed as she kicked her feet like a child. "No!" she complained. "He wont drink from me and I haven't built up the courage to ask if I can drink from him."

"Ouch... and it's been a week?"

"Yeah. We're under the same roof, in the same room... and nothing! I"m thirsty..." she grumbled.

* * *

_Two weeks after arriving at the mansion..._

"Kaname?" Yuuki called out hesitantly. She opened the door to his office and peeked her head in. The room was poorly lit but after a quick moment of adjusting, she was able to see clearly. "I'm coming in, okay?"

She entered the room and quietly closed the door behind her. The torn carpet had been taped down so no one would trip over it; it'd be replaced soon. Kaname wasn't at his desk or by his several bookcases, nor was he by the large window that viewed the gardens and backyard. The door to the sitting room was open and she tip-toed in.

She saw Kaname lying on a lounge chair, one arm over his stomach and the other over his forehead and covering his eyes. His breathing was slow and steady. Yuuki had noticed that he hadn't been sleeping much the past two weeks. She would often go to bed alone and wake up alone. Most of the time she could tell that his side of the bed hadn't been used and it broke her heart a little each time. Was he reacting this way because of their fight? He spent hours holed up in his office looking over things. He never explained what it was that he was researching.

Trying to be as quiet as possible to not wake him, she knelt on the ground in front of the lounge chair and stared at the one and only man she ever loved. The top two buttons on his dark shirt were undone. His shoulder length hair was pulled away from his neck and rested on the cushions behind him. Yuuki had a clear view of his long neck and a small section of his smooth chest.

The jugular vein in his neck pulsed with his heart beat, pumping his powerful life source back to his heart from his brain. She silently watched it throb for a couple of minutes before she traced his strong jawline with her eyes. If she continued to watch his veins, she couldn't help but remember her hunger. She had been downing blood tablets but they weren't doing anything for her. It wasn't like he was denying her his blood; she just couldn't figure out a way to ask him when they weren't on good terms.

His relaxed face was refreshing to see. His soft lips called out to her and tempted her to lean down and kiss them. The urge was strong in her that she clenched her fists to stop herself, creating little crescent moons on her palm from her nails. His smooth, unmarred and beautiful skin made her hands tremble. She wanted to reach out and touch him, smooth his hair and caress his cheek. She just wanted to feel him, to know that he was still there, to be reassured that their love was still alive and strong. She missed him.

"I love you, Kaname," she breathed faintly.

Tears threatened to fall from her eyes as her throat constricted, both from the pain in her heart and from her hunger. She stood quickly and rushed out of the room, wanting to get as far away as possible, lest she do something that would only make him more mad at her.

When she left, Kaname moved his arm higher and opened his eyes, looking down at nothing in particular. He was awake the entire time but pretended to be asleep. He could still smell her scent which lingered in the air. Plum blossoms and somehow, he still wasn't sure how she did it, the warmth of the sun without the pain of being under it's harsh rays. He could also smell the slight scent of her blood from when she squeezed her hands against her nails too tightly.

The pain, hunger and hesitancy she felt was palpable to him. He knew it well enough as it equally matched his own. He raised his hand to his neck and squeezed it as he thought of what he was doing. He trailed his own nails down his neck, slowly scratching it and giving himself welts. The marks healed almost instantly.

"I love you too, Yuuki," he whispered to himself.

* * *

The next day, Kaname had left early in the evening with Seiren. He hadn't spoken or seen Yuuki the rest of the night and his heart was aching at the thought of hurting her. He hated himself for yelling at her previously and losing his cool. The more upset she became at him and the more she yelled, the more he reacted by yelling back and getting angry. He wasn't angry at her. On the contrary, he was angry at himself and furious over the situation they were in. He just wanted them to be together, happy and safe. Why was it so much to ask for?

They made quick time and made it to the Council Headquarters right as the sun had set. The Council members were already in their seats. Once Kaname entered the room, they all fell silent and stared at him as he walked to a seat at the head of the table. No one exchanged pleasantries with him or acknowledged him. They just silently stared at him. He didn't care though. To him, they were a waste of his time. If he truly wanted to, he could easily kill all of them.

That thought suddenly seemed quite pleasant to him, so he started playing out the scene in his head. A slight smile graced his lips as he stared at each Council member. The atmosphere in the room turned tense as the members became uneasy at seeing Kaname smile.

A throat was cleared as Asato Ichijo took his seat at the opposite end of the table, directly across from Kaname.

"Let us begin our meeting," Asato announced. "You have a matter which you would like to address, is that right, Lord Kaname?"

"Yes, that's right. I am hereby declaring Seiren Nakatomi as my official bodyguard. Let it be known and recognized by the Council as well as the Hunter Association. Her family is to receive the official seal. Their family name, as well as hers, shall be entered in the registry and recorded for historical purposes."

Some of the members shuffled in their seats, though the majority simply nodded and acknowledged the claim, not really caring.

"Well, congratulations to you, Miss Nakatomi." Asato's eye twitched. "Do you have any other matters you'd like to address?"

Kaname looked directly at Asato. For a brief moment, Asato felt like Kaname was staring right through him, into his soul, and was able to see and read everything in his mind. He felt uneasy by it but tried to not show it.

"I'm more interested in why I've been summoned here," Kaname stated.

"Yes, well, about that. There are some concerns that the Council would like to bring up."

Kaname cocked an eyebrow. "And what sort of concerns would that be?"

One of the members spoke up. "It's about your rampart behavior, Lord Kuran! It's completely unacceptable and we shan't put up with it much longer. The Council was institutionalized to prevent the kind of behavior you've been exhibiting lately."

Kaname remained quiet as he stared at the man who spoke. Again, he pictured the different ways he could easily kill everyone in the room. "Is that so?" he asked.

"That is so! We have proof that you've killed two purebloods and absorbed their powers. Need we remind you that it's against our laws to do that?! You'll be held to the same standards as every other vampire."

"A tiff between family members and purebloods is no one's business but the ones involved," Kaname retorted. "Who do you think you are to say you are equal enough to speak on what two purebloods do?"

Another spoke instead, "We obviously can't compete in power when it comes to a pureblood, but know that we will still uphold our laws."

"As you should, Councilmen. After all, that is the reason why this organization exists. If you didn't uphold the law, then what sort of terrible state would we all be in?" Kaname asked sarcastically. "So, what punishment is it that you see fit for my heinous crimes?"

A few men cleared their throats. It was clear that no one wanted to speak. It was also clear that even though Sara Shirabuki gave them her word to protect them, the Councilmen still held on to some of their fears. Asato looked around the room before taking in a deep breath. He hoped this didn't back fire and that Sara actually planned to back him up.

"I'm afraid, Lord Kaname, that the punishment for the crimes you've committed against vampire society and to our fellow brethren is quite severe.

"You are being charged with taking the life of two purebloods—your uncle, Rido Kuran and his fiance, Shizuka Hio—and absorbing their power to further heighten your own. This is by far the worst act anyone can commit, as we all know that purebloods contain a great deal of raw energy and power that is unparalleled to any other. The pureblood family lines are also relatively small and this act brings our ancestor lines closer to extinction. As you know, the act of a pureblood killing another pureblood is against ancient laws that were created and placed to prevent purebloods from starting another Great War.

"You are also being charged with conspiracy to throw the Council from their ruling by creating your own with the use of a small army of noble men and women, with the premise that they were attending Cross Academy for academic purposes. While there, we received several reports of your brutal training to turn them into ruthless killing machines that follow only your orders. Several noble families have complained that their children no longer listen to them but only do as you say.

"To coattail off of that, you are also being charged with conspiracy to overthrow the Hunter Association. There are multiple reports of you breaking the rules and treaties vampires have in place with the hunters. Our reports indicate that you purposely tried to turn several hunters into traitors, bribing them with your blood so they can obtain power and surpass what they are naturally capable of. This also was part of your plan in throwing their society into turmoil, taking over their ruling and breaking down their structure for your own power and means.

"Furthermore, you are being charged with the mass murder of at least a hundred lower level ranking vampires and several humans. This also breaks a number of laws put in place to protect not only our fellow vampires but also our fellow human cohabitants.

"These charges, with the severity of them, results in only one possible punishment that would allow you to atone for the crimes you've committed. Our ruling indicates that your punishment is to be..." Asato trailed off as Kaname started to laugh. No one in the room had ever heard Kaname laugh before. It was incredibly offputting for everyone.

"Please, do continue," Kaname encouraged in between bouts of laughter. "Tell me, what is my punishment to be?"

"Death."

* * *

**A/N: So, how you guys doin'?**

**Any criticism, positive or negative, is welcome.**

**Thank you for reading.**


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